QUESTIONING ASSESSMENT: A CRITIQUE OF TRADITIONAL TESTING IN ENGLISH TEACHING

Abstract

Tests continue to be the dominant method of evaluation in Portugal and around the world. However, their prestige is not equivalent to their effectiveness as the main method of testing student’s knowledge, because their massified format counters individualized education and assessment, which meets the individual needs of pupils. The format and curriculum of the English subject give teachers the opportunity to assess students through continuous strategies over the course of a school term, rather than two or three isolated moments of assessment. The aim of this paper is to question tests as the most effective method for evaluating students during English teaching, and to propose an alternative evaluation model, which should meet the needs of current times.